Robot Vacuum Glossary: 40 Terms Explained
A plain-English robot vacuum glossary: LiDAR, suction Pa, mop lift, auto-empty dock, no-go zones, side brush and other terms you will see in buying guides.
By RobotVacuumWiki Editors
Updated October 4, 2026
This guide is based on public information and manufacturer specifications. We do not claim hands-on testing. Prices and availability change often; check Amazon for current details.
Robot vacuum pages are full of jargon. This glossary explains the terms you will meet in reviews and buying guides, in plain English.
Navigation and mapping
- LiDAR
- A spinning laser sensor that measures distances to build a map of rooms. It works in the dark and does not take pictures.
- vSLAM / camera navigation
- Navigation that uses a camera to recognize landmarks and build a map.
- Gyroscope navigation
- Basic navigation using motion sensors to move in rows without a detailed map.
- Bump-and-go
- Random or simple movement where the robot changes direction when it hits something.
- Mapping
- Creating and saving a floor plan the robot uses to clean room by room.
- No-go zone
- An area you mark in the app where the robot will not go.
- Virtual wall
- A line in the app or a physical beacon that the robot will not cross.
- Obstacle avoidance
- Sensors or cameras that help the robot steer around cables, socks and other items.
- Cliff sensors
- Sensors that stop the robot from falling down stairs.
- Multi-floor mapping
- Saving separate maps for different floors of a home.
Cleaning power
- Suction (Pa)
- A measure of suction power in pascals. Compare within a brand and generation, not across brands.
- Main brush
- The rotating brush under the robot that agitates carpet and picks up debris.
- Rubber brush
- A brush with rubber fins that resists hair tangles better than bristles.
- Side brush
- A small brush that sweeps dirt from edges into the path of the robot.
- Anti-tangle
- Brush designs that aim to reduce hair wrapping.
- Carpet boost
- A mode that raises suction when the robot senses carpet.
- HEPA filter
- A fine filter designed to capture small particles. Check the maker’s rating.
- Dustbin
- The container inside the robot that holds debris.
Mopping
- Mop pad
- A cloth pad that wipes the floor, either fixed, spinning or oscillating.
- Spinning mop
- Pads that rotate to scrub the floor.
- Mop lift
- A mechanism that raises mop pads when the robot goes onto carpet.
- Water tank
- Reservoir that supplies water to the mop.
- Self-cleaning mop dock
- A dock that washes and sometimes dries mop pads.
Docks and app
- Auto-empty dock (self-emptying)
- A dock that sucks debris from the robot into a bag or bin.
- Dust bag
- The disposable bag in a self-emptying dock. Check replacement cost.
- All-in-one dock
- A dock that empties the bin, refills water and cleans mop pads.
- Room selection
- Choosing which rooms to clean from the app.
- Scheduling
- Setting times for the robot to clean automatically.
- Voice assistant support
- Control through assistants such as Alexa, Google Assistant or Siri.
- Firmware
- The robot’s internal software, updated through the app. See privacy concerns.
About the author
RobotVacuumWiki Editors
The RobotVacuumWiki editorial team researches robot vacuums and mops from manufacturer specifications, published reviews and buyer feedback, and writes plain-English buying guides.